Cranbrook City Council voted at its last meeting to support the application for Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) Exclusion and subdivision of Crown land for the purpose of creating a park.

The land, about 24.4 hectares, is north of Wycliffe Park Road between the Rails to Trails corridor and the St. Mary River and is intended as a public open space.

The City has been working for some time to purchase the portion of Crown land. The process has also involved consultation with the St. Mary's Band. In September Council authorized the purchase of the property from the Crown, with the condition that the City obtain approval from the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for exclusion and subdivision of the property from the ALR.

The Open Space designation of the property means it functions primarily as natural area, including greenbelt, which provides for wildlife travel corridors, access to river shorelines and low impact recreation activities.

Background information on the application notes the land is unsuited for agricultural use due to severe terrain, which includes a series of steep slopes and terraces, low moisture retention, stoniness and the low capability of the land to support agriculture. There is also very limited ability to improve the land through better land management or irrigation, with little capability to support domestic grazing.

Conditions of the purchase include that the land could only be used as a public park and the site be managed in cooperation with the St. Mary's Indian Band.

When it comes to access to the area, the report notes the steep topography and land locked nature of the site prevent legal road access being provided. It will be accessible from the St. Mary River and the Rails to Trails. Because of the steep slopes, it is anticipated access from the Rails to Trails will require stairs and a switch back trail to travel the southern portion of the site down to the lower benches. It is noted it is not feasible to construct a route that would allow full access for all individuals down through the parcel of land in order to minimize environmental impacts.

In the Proposed St. Mary River Open Space Park Reserve Management Plan it says the City is seeking control over the land to ensure public access to the St. Mary River, to develop a low impact, passive recreation area, and to provide riparian habitat protection. It notes public access to the river has declined over the years as private property owners have restricted access across their lands with increasing development occurring along its course.

Once approval of the property exclusion is given by the ALC an application for subdivision can go ahead, which will enable title registration.